The invention is generally directed toward the field of wire-to-wire connectors, and more particularly, to the field of network interface devices, and even more particularly, to the field of network interface devices between telephone company signal lines and customer signal lines.
A customer subscribing to networked services, e.g., from a telephone company, typically owns a portion of the equipment over which the signals are transmitted. It has become a requirement that a point of demarcation be set between the equipment owned by the network provider, e.g., a telephone company, and the equipment owned by the customer. Typically, this point of demarcation takes the form of a network interface device (NID) located immediately outside the customer""s building.
At the NID, signal lines from the networked provider are connected to signal lines from the customer. An example of a simple background art NID is a surge suppressor, typically in the form of a gas tube, that is encapsulated in plastic and provided with binding posts or screw terminals by which connections to the customer""s line, the telephone company""s, or network line and a ground connection are made.
Another type of network interface device (NID) is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,375 by some of the Inventors of the present application. There, a device is disclosed that uses a printed circuit board (PCB) with multiple connector types. The network lines and the customer lines are preferably connected to the PCB by way of insulation displacement connectors (IDCs) that are located at points on the interior of the board. In an IDC, the wire is inserted between two blades that cut through the insulation and grip the wire with a strong force. Some IDCs provide a gas-tight connection.
The multiple connector types on the PCB of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,375 permit a service technician to easily perform a variety of diagnostic tests. The provision of the IDCs permits the network line and the customer line to be connected very quickly to the PCB.
The speed at which connections can be made to the NID of the copending application is a great advantage. In the telecommunications market, it is extremely important to provide equipment that minimizes the time spent by a technician in the field. The IDCs save a great deal of time because they free the service technician from having to strip insulation from the ends of the network line and the customer line, (possibly) attach a connector to those lines, and then mechanically couple the lines to corresponding connectors on the NID. Unfortunately, the cost of the IDCs is very significant, which commensurately raises the cost of the NID.
An advantage of the invention is that it provides a very inexpensive, and relatively quick to assemble in the field, network interface connection technology.
The invention, in part, represents a recognition that a simplified network interface device (NID), that requires more manual installation steps than, e.g., the IDCs of the NID according to the copending application, can achieve significantly reduced overall costs.
The invention, in part, provides a network interface system comprising: a network signal line and a printed circuit board (PCB). Such a PCB has at least a first connector and a second connector by which an electrical and mechanical connection is made to said network signal line and another signal line, e.g., a user or customer signal line. Such a printed circuit board also provides an electrical connection between said first connector device and said second connector device.
The invention also provides, in part, a printed circuit board (PCB) in a network interface system. Such a printed circuit board comprises: a non-conductive substrate; wherein said printed circuit board includes at least a first projection and a second projection configured to dimensions of a male spade connector; and at least a first conductive layer extending from said first projection and a second conductive layer extending from said second projection such that female spade connectors mechanically connected to said first projection and said second projection are also electrically connected to said first and second conductive layers.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.